Here Comes Goodbye
by WishYouWereHere15
Summary: "It happened Eric. You can't change what happened." Natalia told Eric as she caught him by the shoulders. Eric's anger drained from his face, and tears started coming from his eyes. "She needs you. She needs you now Eric."


This is supposed to be a sad song-fic, but I don't know if I accomplished that… I know! You can read the story, and review, and then tell me how it was! Great Idea!

The song I chose was 'Here Comes Goodbye' by Rascal Flatts. This song is has many meanings to it, and you can chose how to interpret it, but the way I chose to is what I wrote.

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**I can hear the truck tires coming up the gravel road  
And it's not like her to drive that slow, nothing's on the radio  
Footsteps on the front porch  
I hear my door bell  
She usually comes right in  
Now I can tell**

"Auntie Talia! Auntie Talia!" Five year old Zoey Delko exclaimed, running to meet her aunt at the front door of the Delko residence. "Daddy! Daddy!" Zoey shrieked as her father lifted her up in the air, allowing her to get a better view of Natalia, sitting in her car. "Why she still in the car?" Zoey asked as she pressed her little nose to the window, leaving a stain on the window.

"I don't know." Eric answered his little girl, looking out the window at Natalia. He saw her hold something white up to her face, and then crunch it up into a little ball into her hand. Natalia opened the door, and carefully stepped out of her car.

"She's commin' Daddy. She looks sad." Zoey placed both of her tan colored hands on the glass window, steadying herself to get an even better look at Natalia. "Why she sad?"

"I don't know." Eric answered her, putting her back on the ground. Eric walked away from the door, and into the kitchen area. Zoey walked away from the window, and curiously followed her father. She took a seat at one of the kitchen stools, and watched her father call someone on the phone.

"Hey it's me; I um… just call me when you get this. Love you." Eric said into the phone, placing it back on the phone stand. He placed both hands on the counter, and closed his eyes. A little hand placed on his much larger one, made him open his eyes. And when he opened his eyes, he saw two big brown eyes, starring back into his.

"You 'kay?" Zoey asked him. Eric flashed her fake smile before ruffling her wavy light brown hair. "Ding!" Zoey yelled as Natalia finally rang their doorbell. Eric closed his eyes and prayed a bit before following Zoey to the door. He opened it to reveal a red eyed Natalia. She sniffed back the tears and put on a smile as Zoey waved to her. Natalia looked back at Eric, and a part of her heart died.

"Eric-" Natalia started, before choking back on a sob.

"Don't… don't do this to me." Eric told her, holding his hands up in defense. Natalia brushed a hand through her hair, and pushed it back, away from her tear strained face.

"I'm sorry Eric." She cried out to him. Eric stepped back from the door frame, and looked back at his daughter.

"No… you can't…just… No!" Eric yelled at her, his face turning red from anger and sadness. "Get off of my property." Eric threatened as he pointed out the door, towards the street. Natalia refused to leave, shaking her head as tears rolled down her face. "Get away Talia!" He yelled at her, walking closer towards her. Natalia put her hands up in defense.

"Daddy! Stop Daddy!" Zoey yelled, running up to her father and pulling on his leg. Eric just ignored her, continuing to walk up to Natalia.

"It happened Eric. You can't change what happened." Natalia told Eric as she caught him by the shoulders. Eric's anger drained from his face, and tears started coming from his eyes. "She needs you. She needs you now Eric." Natalia told him, placing a hand on his cheek. Eric nodded before returning to his house, grabbing his daughter and his jacket.

"Where we goin'?" Zoey asked her father as he placed her in the car seat in Natalia's car seat. Eric shut the door, before hopping in the passenger side of the CSI issued Hummer. Natalia climbed into the driver's seat, and slammed the door shut.

"We're gonna go see Mommy." Eric told her as he tried to choke back the tears in his eyes.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**Here comes goodbye  
Here comes the last time  
Here comes the start of every sleepness night  
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry  
Here comes the pain  
Here comes me wishing things had never changed  
And she was right here in my arms tonight  
But here comes goodbye**

Natalia and Eric ran into the Miami Dade Hospital, with Zoey in Eric's arms. The trio ran into the ICU of the hospital, and found the rest of their CSI family. Horatio was standing in the center of the waiting room, fooling around with his glasses in his hands. Ryan sat over in a corner, running a hand down his face, wiping the tears away. Jesse sat opposite Ryan, next to Walter and Frank. Natalia walked around the Delko's to go sit in the chair right next to Ryan.

Ryan looked up as she approached to sit next to him. He held his arm out, and allowed Natalia to lay her head on his shoulder. Natalia reached out, grabbing his free hand, and intertwines their fingers together.

"Where is she?" Eric asked, stalking up to Horatio with Zoey in tow. Horatio put his glasses away before turning towards Eric.

"She's behind those doors, the first room to your right." Horatio answered Eric, putting his hands on his hips. "We wanted you to be the first ones to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Eric whispered as he struggled to hold it together. Horatio nodded, and looked over at Zoey, who went over to Natalia and Ryan.

"She was driving to a scene with Jesse. There was shootout Eric. Jesse was grazed in the shoulder; she got a round into the chest before crashing the Hummer head on." Horatio chocked out. "She fell into a coma, her brain activity is limited. They can keep her on a machine, but she's gone." Horatio told him before placing a hand on his shoulder. Eric shook it off, walking over to Jesse.

"Eric, I'm so sor-" Jesse stood up to say, before Eric pushed him up against the wall behind him. Jesse cringed as pain shot through his injured shoulder.

"You were supposed to protect her." Eric seethed into his face, holding his shirt tight in his hands. "You let her down." Eric let go of Jesse, before grabbing Zoey and walking into the ICU.

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**I can hear her say "I Love You" like it was yesterday  
And I can see it written on her face, that she had never felt this way  
One day I thought I'd see her with her daddy by her side  
And violins would play here comes the bride**

They walked into the room Horatio directed them too, and Eric stopped in his tracks.

Calleigh was lying in the hospital bed, hooked up to multiple machines; wires were attached to different parts of her body. Her usual tan skin was chalky looking, almost blending in with the off white hospital bed sheets.

"Mommy?" Zoey cried out, running up to the bed. "Mommy, wake up." Eric came up behind his daughter and lifted her into his arms. "Daddy, why won't she wake up?" Zoey looked at Eric, her brown eyes swollen with tears.

"Zoey, remember were Abuela went last year?" Eric asked Zoey. He didn't really know how to explain death to a five year old child. When Eric's mom had passed away next year, Calleigh had been the one to talk to Zoey, but now, she couldn't talk to her again.

"She went to see the angels." Zoey answered, looking back at her mother. "Is Mommy gonna go there with Abuela too?" Zoey asked her father, looking back into his eyes.

"Yes." Eric answered, letting a tear run down his cheek. Eric walked up to Calleigh's bedside, and placed Zoey carefully on the bed next to Calleigh.

"Love you Mommy." Zoey leaned over and kissed her mother on the cheek, not wanting to bother the tube down her throat. Zoey leaned over to her ear, and carefully whispered, "I'm gonna take care of Daddy for you Mommy, no worries." Zoey placed another kiss on her mother's cheek before looking back at Eric. Eric took her in her arms, but Zoey turned back to her mother. "Take care of Abuela, Mommy. Love you." Zoey said her final words to her mother, blowing her a kiss.

Zoey turned into Eric's arms, and buried her face into his strong shoulder. Eric placed a kiss to the side of Zoey's head. A knock on the door broke them from their embrace.

"You want some time Eric?" Horatio asked, nodding his head towards Zoey. Eric nodded before handing his daughter over to his boss. Horatio retreated to the waiting room with Zoey, leaving Eric to talk to Calleigh.

"Hey Cal." Eric whispered to his fiancé. He pulled up a chair by her bedside, and placed her hand in his much larger one. "You will always be my best friend Calleigh." Eric choked back the tears as he struggled to say goodbye. "I should've been there with you Cal; I shouldn't have taken the day off." Eric held her hand to his lips, and gently kissed it. He held it to his cheek, and continued talking to her. "I knew you were the one since the day I met you Cal. You will always be special." Eric watched his own tears fall onto Calleigh's pale hand. "I will always love you Cal, always and forever." Eric reached into his pocket, and pulled out his cross.

He leaned over her, and gently placed the cross on her chest. He wanted to clasp it around her neck, but knew he wouldn't be allowed to move her. "Even though you never walked down the aisle, you will always be considered a Delko, my wife. I will always love you Calleigh." Eric kissed her cheek, then her neck, then her hand one last time. He left his lips linger on her hand, before pulling away and walking out of the room

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**But here comes goodbye  
Here comes the last time  
Here comes the start of every sleepness night  
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry  
Here comes the pain  
Here comes me wishing things had never changed  
And she was right here in my arms tonight  
But here comes goodbye**

The funeral was beautiful. Calleigh's family had flown up from the South to attend her service. Calleigh got a full military/police funeral. Eric and Zoey had stayed away from most people, sitting by themselves by a tree or another quiet place. When the 21 gun salute started, Zoey started to cry into her father's shoulder. Eric stayed strong, and held her to him, holding on to the last piece he had of Calleigh. He looked over to Calleigh's grave side, and looked at the precious piece of granite.

After the funeral, it all seemed to dawn on Eric of what really happened. When he arrived back at the house, it was all quiet. Zoey was asleep in her bed, and Eric sat downstairs on the couch. He was alone. He was afraid to sleep, because he knew when he woke up, he would think it was all a dream. He would have to remember what happened; he would have to live life by himself. But the worst part of it would be the face that he would have to raise their child by himself.

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**Why does it have to go from good to bad  
Before the lights turn on  
Yea and you're left alone  
Ohhhhhhhhhh  
But here comes goodbye  
Ohhhhhhhhhh  
**  
**Here comes goodbye  
Here comes the last time  
Here comes the start of every sleepness night  
The first of every tear I'm gonna cry  
Here comes the pain  
Here comes me wishing things had never changed  
And she was right here in my arms tonight  
But here comes goodbye**

At age seven, Zoey would home from school with tears stinging in her eyes. Eric would lift her into his arms, and ask her what was wrong. Zoey would tell him that tomorrow; all the first graders were bringing their mothers into school for their Mother's Day Show. Eric allowed her to skip school that day, and the pair spent Mother's Day at Calleigh's grave.

At age nine, Zoey would sit in the church, and watch her Auntie Talia walk down the hall in a beautiful white gown. She would watch as Talia stood at the altar and held hands with Uncle Ryan. Zoey turned to look at his father, and saw he had tears sitting in his eyes. Zoey held his hand, and pulled herself to him as father and daughter remembered that Calleigh's chance to walk down the aisle was taken away from her.

At age eleven, Zoey's fifth grade teacher told them to draw a picture for their mothers. Zoey drew an angel with blonde hair and green eyes. Zoey's teacher would ask her why she had a halo, and Zoey would smile at her and say, 'Cause my Mom's my angel now'.

At age fourteen, Zoey would roam the aisles of the dress store, looking for the perfect dress to wear to her Freshman Dinner Dance. Zoey would try on dress after dress, each time her father would have the same response, 'You look beautiful'. Frustrated, Zoey would call her Auntie Talia in, and eventually, the trio would pick out the perfect dress for her.

At age seventeen, Zoey would pose in her prom gown, as her family took multiple pictures of her and her prom date together. Zoey would try to put on a fake smile at the prom, but her date, Tyler, could see right through it. He would ask her what's wrong in a private corner, and Zoey would proceed to tell him how it is her mother's birthday. Tyler would hold her close, and eventually take her home to her father, where she cried herself to sleep.

At age fifty-five, Eric would step down the aisle, arm-in-arm with his twenty-five year old daughter. He looked over at her, and saw her smiling at her fiancée, Tyler. His eyes would well up with tears as he thought about Calleigh. She would be proud of her daughter, she would be proud of him, and most of all, she would not shot Tyler with a gun, because she would approve with him.

At age forty-five, Zoey franticly drove to the hospital after receiving a call from her Auntie Natalia. She ran in the hospital, Tyler and her kids, Marissa, 10, Andrew, 7, Eric, 6, and Calleigh Anne, 1, stayed behind in the waiting room. Zoey ran up to her father's bedside and held his hand as tears fell from his eyes. Zoey held his hand as Eric said her goodbye to her. The machines went wild, and Eric closed his eyes. Later on, Zoey would realize that Eric didn't die from a heart attack, but from a broken heart.

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An alarm went off, Eric shot up in bed, his sheets were sweaty, and wrapped around his naked form. He stuck his hand out, and searched the sheets around him, he felt nothing. He sat on his bed, and watched as a blonde walked out of his bathroom.

"You alright there?" The blonde asked, drying her hair off with a towel. Eric looked wide eyed back at the woman.

"Yeah…uh…just a nightmare…" Eric mumbled as he crawled out of the bed. He walked up to the blonde, and forcefully wrapped his arms around her. The blonde laughed, but hugged him back. "I love you Calleigh." Eric whispered into her shoulder.

"That bad of a dream huh?" She asked giggly, as she held onto his waist.

"Oh yea, you have no idea." Eric pulled away from her a little bit, and lifted up her shirt. He looked at the bullet wound scar in her chest, and ran his fingers over it.

"Eric, I didn't die, I'm right here." She grabbed his head in between her hands and forced him to look at her. "We have been over this; I took a round to the chest, and ran the hummer in the wall. Yes, I was in a coma with serious injuries. But no, I didn't die. You need to stop having that nightmare."

"I know…it's just… I don't know." He answered, leaning in to kiss her. Calleigh broke the kiss, and pulled away from him.

"Now, if you keep that up, we will never make it into work." Calleigh teased as she went to the dresser. Eric went to go pull her back, but little feet running into his room stopped him.

"Mommy!" Shrieked Zoey as she ran full speed into her mother's legs. "Can I come to work today?" Calleigh laughed and picked her six year old up.

"Yes, but we have to get you dressed first." Calleigh winked at Eric as she walked out of the room. Eric sat down on the bed, and ran his hands through his hair.

"Never gonna let that happen." He told himself as he went to go get ready for work.

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Yes… you thought I was going to kill her… but I just couldn't, because that's too sad.

But I would like to know what you guys thought… please!


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